Mignolet expected Coutinho goal

Highlights – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim vs Borussia Dortmund

Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet says that Philippe Coutinho's fantastic strike against Stoke City came as no surprise, and he was shouting for the Brazilian to shoot.

The Reds left it late against the Potters at Britannia Stadium on Sunday, when Coutinho's 86th-minute screamer was enough to take all three points back to Anfield.

"I knew what was going to happen," he told the Liverpool Echo. "The moment Philippe got the ball out of his feet and cut inside I was shouting 'shoot!'.

"He did the same at Bolton and Blackburn last season. We all knew what was going to happen. Hopefully we'll see a lot more of that from him this season.

"I see that quality from him every day in training. That great talent is something he was born with. He also works his socks off for the team."

The Belgium international was also happy to have kept a clean sheet, saying that "whenever you go away in the Premier League, it's going to be tough, especially at Stoke", who beat them 6-1 on the final day of last season.

"We didn't give much away and defended really well," he added. "Unlike the game here three months ago, we restricted them to very few chances and coped well with the pressure."